2025 Lexus GX550 review: Australian first drive

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2025 Lexus GX550 Overtrail

It’s been a staple of the off-road scene in the United States for more than two decades (It’s called overlanding over there), but Australia is only now getting our first taste of the 2025 Lexus GX550, a luxury take on the Toyota LandCruiser Prado.

And considering how rampantly popular and successful the Prado has been in Australia over the years, it feels strange to look back and realise it’s only now that Lexus has decided to tap into this popular section of the market.

Better late than never I suppose, and the Australian market is now being treated to the new-generation Lexus that has usurped V8 power for the first time. We’ve got a 3.4-litre (not 3.5-litre by the way, it’s 3445 cubic centimetres in size) twin-turbo V6 running through a 10-speed automatic gearbox, and on a platform that is shared with the current Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series (any by extension, the big brother Lexus LX).

Whereas the first two generations of Lexus GX used 120 and 150 Series Prado as a base, this is a big step change for this iteration.

How much is a Lexus GX550?

Typical of Lexus, the new GX arrives with a simple range of trim levels to choose from. There’s not nearly as much customisation available as you’d find in other models, where the list of available options can sometimes be overwhelming.

And out of the three trim levels – Luxury, Sports Luxury and Overtrail – we have the off-road-focussed (and in my opinion, most interesting) model to dig into in this case.

Whereas the range starts with Luxury at $116,000 plus on-road costs, buyers who want a little more can choose between more equipment and an on-road focus in the Sports Luxury ($128,200) or the off-road-focussed Overtrail ($122,250).

The Overtrail shares a lot of standard equipment with the Luxury spec like a 360-degree camera system, LED lighting front and rear, three-zone climate control, heated and ventilated front seats, eight-way electric adjustment for driver and front passenger, driver’s position memory, a 14-inch infotainment display, head-up display and 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster.

Losing the third row gives the Overtrail extra boot space, but only room for five on board. This spec also loses the heated rear outboard seats of the Luxury and Sports Luxury.

The big advantage of the Overtrail comes through the chassis, with this specification picking up adaptive damping and eKDSS. This acronym refers to the electronically controlled Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System, which is effectively a selectable anti-roll bar for the front and rear axles.

The Overtrail also gets a range of off-road driving modes and technology not used elsewhere, some tweaks to the five-seat interior materials and seating, and a refrigerated centre console.

And of course, don’t forget the practical 18-inch black alloy wheels of the Overtrail, compared to 20s and 22s elsewhere, and wrapped in quality Toyo Open Country A/T 3 tyres. The 265/70 R18 is a good size as well, measuring in at around 32.6 inches in diameter.

Another small detail here is a higher-output alternator – 240 amps – that will help to keep batteries charged along with any other accessories you might be looking at.

Although, keep in mind the payload, which is relatively lithe at 595kg.

How big is a Lexus GX550?

It’s the same platform as the LandCruiser 300 Series, but this Lexus GX also gets the same 2850mm wheelbase. This is bigger than the old LandCruiser Prado by 60mm, and in keeping with where the new Prado will be at.

And on the inside, the first thing you’ll notice (which is commonplace these days) is the size of the centrally mounted screen. The arms race of pixels hasn’t slowed down just yet, and this Lexus lobs with 14 inches of infotainment display to arrest your eyes.

Overall, the interior of the GX doesn’t feel overly staggering or eye-grabbing like you might see in other big SUVs at this kind of price. There are plenty of black materials about, soft-touch in some places, yes, but there isn’t a lot of variety or hero materials to break things up.

But, it’s good to see a premium car eschew the use of shiny piano-black plastics, which never seem to wear well.

It’s only really the small patches of olive-green ultrasuede on the seats, which seems to bring some character to the inside.

Build quality is good, however, with that typical hewn-from-stone feel you often get from Lexus vehicles.

Two cupholders are hiding behind a fairly basic (but honest) plastic sliding partition, and you’ve got a big centre console and separate wireless charging pad further back. Power outlets – two USB-C points – are up forward below the infotainment display.

There’s a 12V power outlet here as well, hiding behind a cool hinged wood panel in front of the gear shifter.

There’s room for bottles in the doors up front, and there is a handy shelf in front of the passenger for storing stuff.

In the second row, you’ll find the ample amount of space you would expect for a vehicle of this size. I’m around 180cm tall, and can sit behind myself with a handy amount of leg room left over. It’s not utterly capacious in this regard, but neither is the Lexus LX or LandCruiser 300 Series in this regard.

There are air vents in the roof, air-conditioning controls centrally mounted and USB power outlets in the back here, but seating comfort perhaps isn’t as good as you might expect. The seat is flat and bench-like, and hard plastic at the base of the seat eats into your footwell a little bit.

And because of the large transmission tunnel – and extra plastic trim pieces in the middle – those in the middle will have to sit like they’re astride a horse to get comfortable.

The boot is commensurably huge with over 1000 litres of space available, and you can see that other models in the range have a third row fitted. We have some random cupholders and USB-C power outlets here – which would normally be there for the cheap seats – but they are still a handy thing to have in this Overtrail. There’s also a household power outlet, which will be useful to have.

Does the Lexus GX550 have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?

The 14-inch infotainment display inside the Lexus GX is hard to miss when you clamber in, and it proved to be a quality and effective system during our time with the car. Along with being massive, the screen offers plenty of clarity and processing speeds, with all of the features that you would expect: Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, digital radio and navigation.

Although, if you want an upgraded sound system, you’ll have to avoid this Overtrail model and look instead at the Sports Luxury trim.

We do like the inclusion of physical controls and buttons along with the big display, instead of trying to roll all of the functions into the screen’s remit. This include climate controls and a volume dial, while navigation shortcuts occupy the screen.

There’s a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster buried deep in the dashboard in front of the driver, which has the usual range of built-in functions.

Is the Lexus GX550 a safe car?

The Lexus GX is yet to have any crash-testing information or results posted by ANCAP or Euro NCAP.

So while the platform-sharing Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series gets a five-star rating, we will have to wait and see what the future holds for the Lexus GX. Perhaps, when some ratings for the Toyota LandCruiser Prado come forth, we may see some more information about the Lexus GX.

What safety technology does the Lexus GX550 have?

Unsurprisingly for Lexus, the GX comes with a fairly comprehensive suit of active safety technology. Autonomous emergency braking covers a lot of other road users and intersections, and the adaptive cruise-control system includes well-tuned lane-trace abilities.

On top of the list of features below, it’s worth noting that the LED headlights of the GX550 Overtrail and Sports Luxury perform well and add a dose of surety in night driving, becoming more versatile by adjusting the beam pattern to suit driving conditions.

The airbag count in the cabin of the 2025 Lexus GX550 is nine.

How much does the Lexus GX550 cost to run?

Service costs for the Lexus GX are relatively high, despite coming under the umbrella of the Lexus capped-price servicing program. This is partly because you need to visit twice a year (instead of only once).

For example, a Land Rover Defender is significantly less expensive to keep the service books up to scratch.

Insurance for a GX550 Overtrail (with this optional paint scheme) is set to cost $3266 per year as a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

Is the Lexus GX550 fuel-efficient?

It’s a big rig with a relatively large twin-turbocharged engine. So, it’s probably not a surprise that the Lexus GX doesn’t do terribly well in the efficiency stakes.

We were as bad as 18.0 litres per 100 kilometres during our time with the car, which involved town driving, low-speed off-roading and some stints on the highway. So this might be more of a worst-case scenario, but I cannot expect most buyers seeing a number anywhere near the claim of 12.3L/100km. This is especially the case if you’re going to spend most of your time around town.

What is the Lexus GX550 like to drive?

While Lexus calls it a 3.5-litre petrol V6, 3445cc puts it at 3.4 litres (technically speaking, you round down at that stage). But it’s elementary, because this engine never feels like it’s lacking in torque, power and responsiveness.

Its 650Nm of twist is available at a low and broad rev range, allowing the engine to feel muscular and naturally loping in the lower range of the tachometer. And with a 10-speed automatic gearbox, revs can constantly stay in the low areas as the car attempts to save fuel.

Up at higher revs, the engine feels very strong, almost aggressive in power delivery and performance. Peak power comes on at a relatively low 5200rpm, but once again: 10 speeds to choose from means it can continue to rip through the gears and surge forward.

I’m not sure if many would care about this, but the silkiness and smooth rumble of Land Rover’s P400 powertrain, which has more power (294kW) but less torque (550Nm), is a more charming engine than this one.

The ride quality did feel firm and jittery over small and high-frequency bumps, but an adjustment of tyre pressures added in an extra dose of compliance to the ride. The car was delivered to us with 44psi in the tyres, but adjusting them down to 33psi put the ride quality into a more suitable place.

And while the driving experience is mostly quite refined, don’t expect SUV-like levels of performance and roadholding here. Similar to other proper four-wheel-drive vehicles with big capability and towing capacity, you’ll feel more lumbering than lithe through the corners. But up to that point, the GX feels composed and stable.

Off-road, the GX certainly comes into its own (as you would expect). Big all-terrain tyres, good clearance and a clever, traditional traction system mean this feels like the most suited off-roader from Lexus yet.

While a Land Rover Defender is deftly capable through its sophisticated combination of clutch packs in the driveline, height-adjustable air suspension and advanced driving modes, this GX shows there is plenty of life left in the old-school mix of a gear-based lockable centre differential, locking rear differential and a smartly tuned traction-control system.

The Lexus GX does pick up some smart technical assistance with hill descent control, driving modes and crawl control, but the throttle is balanced nicely enough to allow easy, slow and controlled driving in technical terrain.

And even though the combination of live rear axle and independent front suspension can often yield a flip-flopping nature through the ruts in other vehicles, this GX doesn’t suffer from the same malaise. It feels stable and sure-footed, which translates into confidence for whoever is sitting behind the wheel.

Like the LandCruiser 300 Series, this new GX gets rear dampers mounted outboard of the chassis rails, and there’s no shortage of articulation and stability available here. But the front end seems to keep up its end of the bargain, allowing the car to feel nicely settled and balanced in rough terrain.

This is likely thanks to the implementation of eKDSS, which feels bang-on in this case. While I haven’t tested both back-to-back, this feels better than the LandCruiser 300 Series GR Sport off-road.

How much weight can a Lexus GX550 tow?

Keeping up with the Joneses, the Lexus GX550 has a 3500kg braked towing capacity. It’s perhaps not a surprise considering the platform and powertrain being shared with other heavy-duty tow vehicles.

However, one should expect this twin-turbo petrol engine to chug back a fair amount of fuel when towing the full amount.

We are yet to get clarity on the gross combination mass and towball downforce limit of the Lexus GX – two factors that are highly important for the suitability for long-term towing. We’ll update this story when we get those details.

Should I buy a Lexus GX550?

While the Lexus LX will hold onto its spot as the big dog of the range, and be the first off-road-ready Lexus for the Australian market, this GX550 sits in a better place. It’s is easily more suitable and accessible for those who want a nice family buy with plenty of features, some luxury touches and practicality, but also feels more suited to off-road adventuring. It’s better in terms of clearance and confidence, but 18-inch all-terrains and easily accessible capability mean it will fit the bill for many Australian buyers.

We like the Overtrail specification, if you’re happy to go without the occasional-use third row. The boot is huge, and the second row is good enough without being exemplary.

It has the potential to be quite expensive to run and isn’t cheap to service. However, the Lexus GX550 provides a compelling mix of a refined driving experience, loads of power and plenty of genuine off-road capability.

How do I buy a Lexus GX550? The next steps.

If you were one of the first in line for a Lexus GX, chances are that you might have one in the driveway already. While motoring outlets like ourselves have only recently been able to sample this new model through a press loan, Lexus has been busy rolling out deliveries for those customers who have been patiently waiting some time now.

If you’re keen on the off-road ability, the Overtrail is easily the pick of the bunch. Otherwise, buyers can look for a more upmarket interior with the Sports Luxury or keeping a few dollars in the back with the Luxury specification.

The next step on the purchase journey is to check the Lexus website for stock of your preferred GX variant. You can also find Lexus vehicles for sale at Drive Marketplace.

We strongly recommend taking a test drive at a dealership before committing because personal needs and tastes can differ. Find your nearest Lexus dealer via this link. We'd also recommend test-driving the Land Rover Defender, which offers similar levels of refinement and off-road capability.

If you want to stay updated with everything that’s happened to this car since our review, you’ll find all the latest news here.

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